March 31, 2016

10% of proceeds from Premiere Pet Portrait Paintings ordered before 4/30/16 will be donated to Amazon Cares.Dogs can be heroes just by being there when we need them. Some dogs, however, do more than simply “be there”. In the case of Marron (left), her presence inspired a movement that brought real change to a community in Peru.

Rescued off the streets of Iquitos, Peru, Marron became the co-founder for the Amazon CARES charity that has rescued countless other stray animals in the region. Capturing the heart of her human companion, Marron inspired an international effort to bring improved quality of life to animals in the region. It has been no small effort, but it has been a successful one.

Marron: 2003 - March 2016

Sadly, Marron went to the Rainbow Bridge on March 4, 2016. It was my honor and pleasure to paint her portrait with her pal Marilyn, another rescued pup from Peru.

In honor of Marron, BZTAT will donate 10% of all March and April Premiere Contemporary Custom Pet Portrait Painting orders to Amazon CARES. This is a great idea of a Mother's Day gift - It should be all about celebrating a Mom, Grandma, Godmother, Aunt, and all the moms in your life! And don't forget the countless Mom's to four-legged creatures!

March 8, 2016

In honor of International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the woman that is taking over and restructuring Amazon CARES to meet the changing needs of the community we serve in Iquitos, Peru!

This amazing woman is Manuela Rodrigues, a woman is changing the world for the better.Many people in the animal community know Manuela. She gained recognition on the activism site change.org, and they honored her as the“Changemaker of the Year.” In 2009 she became a “Virtual Volunteer” for Amazon CARES, and in September, 2010, when she moved to Atlanta, she became the first employee of Amazon CARES in the USA, working directly with Amazon CARES Founder and Executive Director, Molly Mednikow in her home office.

In 2013 Manuela moved away from Atlanta and started a family. In the meantime, Molly started the process of applying to law schools to become an animal rights lawyer. “We both hoped that Amazon CARES was established enough to survive on its own, but there were many changes in leadership in the USA and Peru. We could not afford to pay anybody in the US,” Molly said. After taking a class in Nonprofit Animal Law, her professor told her that Amazon CARES absolutely required a paid Executive Director, and Molly's generous mother, animal rescuer Betty Mednikow, donated money to pay Manuela a very humble salary, and asked Manuela to return to Amazon CARES.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Manuela took care of abandoned and abused babies in the slums.